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Paula Deen's Top Recipes, Made Diabetes-Friendly

The queen of calorie-rich Southern cuisine is famous for her unhealthy recipes. In the wake of Deen's diabetes diagnosis, here's a look at some of her most popular dishes matched with lighter, diabetes-friendly fare from our own recipe database.

Photo Courtesy of The Food Network

Back in January, celebrity chef Paula Deen went public with her type 2 diabetes diagnosis around the same time an endorsement deal was announced between Deen and the company that makes the diabetes drug Victoza. Since then, the public has been in an uproar over her full-fat, high-sugar recipes and how they may have contributed to her developing the condition, and it's easy to see why.

"If you were to regularly eat the foods that Paula Deen traditionally cooks on her show, it certainly would increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes," says Megan Fendt, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at the Friedman Diabetes Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "These types of foods are high in calories, and any calories over and above what our bodies need are stored as fat. And there is a strong link between carrying excess weight and developing diabetes."

When she made her announcement on the Today Show, Deen told co-host Al Roker, "I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes, but I tell people, 'in moderation.' However, it's hard to figure out what constitutes a moderate portion of some of her more famous creations — like battered, deep-fried butter balls and a bacon-and-egg burger served on a glazed donut.

The good news is you can enjoy Southern-style cooking with a fraction of the fat, sugar, and calories found in Deen's cooking. Here's our healthier, diabetes-friendly take on Paula's classic cuisine.

Sweet Tea

What's the one food Deen says she gave up after her type 2 diabetes diagnosis? It's sweet tea, y'all. Speaking to the Miami New Times, Dean admitted to drinking the stuff from morning til night, adding two cups of sugar to every gallon of tea she brewed. When you leave out the sugar, tea is a healthy drink. One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition even found that people who drank a cup or more of black tea a day had a 14 percent reduction in their risk of type 2 diabetes. Our apricot iced tea is especially refreshing in the summer, but it's great all year round.

Macaroni and Cheese

Who doesn't love this traditional comfort food? Deen's creamy mac-n-cheese gets its gooey richness from whole milk, half a stick of butter, and sour cream, plus a can of condensed Cheddar cheese soup and three eggs. Our version is just as delicious but uses low-fat cheeses and fat-free evaporated milk — so it clocks in at just 203 calories, 28 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. And while cheese gets a nutrition bad rap, the low-fat kind is good for you. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, teen girls who ate more low-fat dairy products reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Fried Chicken

Think Southern food and you're sure to crave this classic. Deen's Southern fried chicken is dipped in milk, eggs, and flour and fried in peanut oil. While this plant-based oil isn't bad for you — it's monounsaturated, which means it's heart-healthy — fried foods have been linked to metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Our healthier take is flavored with Parmesan cheese and "fried" in the oven, and uses just a touch of butter.

Lasagna

Speaking of frying, how about some fried lasagna? As if Deen's lasagna wasn't rich enough (with six different types of cheeses and more than a pound of ground beef), the deep-fried version she created on her show Paula's Party was also dredged in flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. We love lasagna too, but our recipe is packed with fiber-filled veggies like carrots, zucchini, and red bell peppers. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, eating more fiber can lead to better blood sugar control in people with diabetes.

Chicken Wings

How does Deen prepare her "Uncle Bubba's Wings?" You guessed it, they're fried, but not before being drenched in hot sauce. And the Buffalo sauce she provides for dipping contains 8 tablespoons of butter, plus more hot sauce. While hot sauce is a tasty condiment and a great way to add flavor, its sodium count can really add up when eaten in large quantities (it has about 30 mg of sodium per teaspoon). The latest government dietary guidelines recommend that people with diabetes eat no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium a day (that's about half a teaspoon of salt). Our Polynesian glazed chicken wings are just as toothsome and have only 74 mg of sodium per serving.

Brownies

Even the most dedicated chocoholic might think twice before diving into Deen's Symphony Brownies, made with boxed brownie mix and three large almond-toffee chocolate bars. There are healthier ways to get your cocoa fix, including our fabulous double-chocolate brownies. While they're surprisingly light, they have all the richness brownie lovers demand, thanks to the fat-free cocoa powder and semisweet miniature chocolate chips (which, like other dark chocolate, contain health-boosting antioxidants).

Cheesecake

One of Deen's most popular creations is her pumpkin cheesecake. But while pumpkin is a great way to replace fat in baked goods, that doesn't seem to be the aim of this dish — not with all the cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and butter used to round out the recipe. The American Diabetes Association recommends getting less than 7 percent of daily calories from saturated fat (the kind found in full-fat dairy products and egg yolks), or about 15 grams a day. For a lighter take on cheesecake that's still creamy and indulgent, try our Italian version — it has just 4 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Bread Pudding

Rich and custardy, bread pudding is a delicious dessert that's usually high in calories. Deen's "sinfully sweet" rendition is no exception: It uses a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in place of the usual cubed bread, along with two cans of fruit cocktail, sweetened condensed milk, a stick of butter, and a box of raisins. Do your arteries a favor and whip up our cherry-chocolate bread pudding instead — it's made with whole-grain bread, dried cherries, and wheat germ for a good-for-you treat that's festive enough for company (and only 147 calories a serving).